The Step Onward Foundation helps young adult survivors of health crises and childhood homelessness. We partner with other organizations to fill the gap in available supports and services as young people transition from childhood to adulthood. Each young adult we support has demonstrated his or her commitment to becoming a self sustaining, contributive member of the community. We provide supports that families typically provide during this critical period in a young person's life. This includes funds for education, housing, and health care, as well as mentorship. We partner with other organizations to complement the resources and services they offer, thus contributing to a comprehensive system of support that is individualized and flexible.

Candidates for the Step Onward Foundation come to us through various organizations that serve the underage and young adult homeless populations nationwide. If you are seeking help and are not associated with an organization that is already providing services or mentorship to you, we still want to hear from you. Organizations and individuals seeking help may contact us via email.

Our Mission at Step Onward Foundation is to break the cycle of homelessness for young adult survivors of childhood homelessness and for families put at risk of homelessness through their children’s health crises. We accomplish this by providing education, housing, wellness resources, advocacy and mentorship through sustaining partnerships with individuals and organizations in the communities we serve.

Patrice Pike here. I am co-founder and executive director of The Step Onward Foundation, which started as the Grace Foundation. I am grateful to have met Eliza Grace in my life as a traveling musician, because I am a survivor of homelessness too. Humbly I will tell you that I didn’t know what was coming when I met Eliza, but it changed my life forever. As a result, our encounter has exponentially changed the lives of others. Her story was my story, though hers was so much more challenging. She shared with me, unexpectedly after a chance meeting on the road, her extraordinary journey from an unsafe childhood to recovering as a young adult with a life threatening medical condition. With little hope and a lot of pain, the decision to heal herself came when she was told by two best friends, “We see you and we will walk with you. Trust the power of community and let’s do this.” SHE DID IT, and the Grace Foundation, now called Step Onward Foundation, was born. Todd Young, our co-founder, was that best friend, and our community showed up for Eliza. Read part of her story here, and see throughout the site how the mission has since rippled to impact many more lives.

Eliza Grace is the Grace Foundation/Step Onward Foundation’s first recipient and namesake. Her story embodies the mission of the The Step Onward Foundation and attests to the power of grace to change lives.